CRS Announces New Faces of Country Music Class of 2019

The votes are in, and the Country Radio Seminar has officially announced its New Faces of Country Music 2019 class! Congratulations are in order to Jimmie Allen, Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Lanco and Dylan Scott, who have all been named as New Faces artists for the upcoming year.

The five country up-and-comers will participate in a showcase during 2019's New Faces of Country Music Dinner and Show, which will take place on Feb. 15, as part of the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tenn. The batch of artists was elected out of a ballot announced in November of 2018, which also included country artists such as Morgan Wallen, Jordan Davis, Chris Lane and many others.

Dickerson turned heads in 2018 with his No. 1 hit, "Blue Tacoma," his second consecutive chart-topper and the follow-up to 2017's "Yours." Lanco, meanwhile, has been climbing the charts with "Born to Love You" in 2018, after achieving their first No. 1 in 2017 with "Greatest Love Story."

Scott climbed the charts in 2017 after releasing "Hooked," a song he co-wrote with fellow New Faces nominee Morgan Evans. Not only did Allen recently hit the top spot on country radio charts, but he also made chart history: His No. 1 song "Best Shot" also marks the first debut single in history from a black artist to top charts.

Ell, whose single, "Criminal," peaked at No. 1 on the Canada Country chart, was also the only female artist on a ballot of 13, a fact that sparked criticism of the Country Radio Seminar for failing to include a proportionate number of women in its class. According to CRS, Ell was in fact the only qualifying female artist of 2018, a statement that reflects gender imbalance at country radio more than rising female talent. In order to be included in the program, artists need to have had between one and five Top 25 on either the Mediabase Country Chart (as published in Country Aircheck) or on the BDS-based Country Chart during the program's qualification period.